


Quiet

by CustardCreamies



Category: The Grand Tour (TV) RPF, Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4225944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CustardCreamies/pseuds/CustardCreamies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The hangar was never meant to be this quiet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. So...this it it then. The end. I've just read Andy's article about the final filming and I lost it. I cried and I suspect I'll be crying again tonight when I watch the final ep. I've had months to come to terms with it, but now it feels final. I've had writers block for a while now and this has broken it. A lot has happened over the last few months, a lot of good things. I've now got a job and I am 100% more happier then I was before. I've not written because of the block and because of the job but I've just gotta write this little one-shot to help with my feelings. Top Gear meant more to me then some people would realise. In actual fact, for a lot of people, it probably mattered the same way as it did for me. So, here we go, the final battle.

The hangar was never meant to be this quiet. 

It wasn't the usual quiet that happens once a series was finished recording for the year, the quiet that promised a break and some peace for a while but which could be broken at a moments notice, it was the type of quiet that symbolised an end. 

The hanger was dark and cold. The air held a note of stillness and neglect. It didn't feel welcoming, it felt dark and haunting. 

The two figures who walked through the hanger felt all this, they looked around the building that used to be so familiar to them and they felt a shiver go through them. The hanger was never supposed to feel this cold. 

The hanger should have been filled with props and cars and be full of people running around rigging cameras and yelling instructions to one another. It should have had the atmosphere of barely concealed panic of getting ready in time for the audience. It should have had laughter and happiness and it should have had three people in the centre of it all sharing a joke and running through the scripts. 

Now though, only two of the three people were present and they were filming the end. 

Richard let out a shaky breath as he and James made their way to the car seats that had been hastily set out for them, seats in which they had sat on facing Jeremy during the news, seats on which they had spent hours just talking to each other, never realising the end would be coming soon.

James took one look at the seats and turned to Richard "shall we?" he asked softly. In the background a lone camera was being set up to record them. There used to be more, but they were not needed now, they never would be needed again.

Richard nodded and took his usual place beside James on the seat. They both turned to the camera and, using all their willpower, pretended to be cheerful. 

They kept this pretence up, that is, until it came to Richard saying his final line. 

It took him three tries. 

On the third he looked into the camera, held back his tears and in a barely controlled voice said "Thank you very much for watching...and goodbye" 

The director called "cut"

And Richard was gone. 

* * *

James found Richard quickly.

Richard had run out of the hanger and straight to his car and was now leaning against it, trying to fight off the emotion of filming that final scene. 

"Rich?" James asked softly as he came up to him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

"It's over with James, how can it be over?" Richard asked quietly. He looked up at James and James was taken aback by the emotion in his deep brown eyes which were threatening to spill with tears. 

"I know, this isn't right. It shouldn't be this way" James responded, finding that his own eyes were now filling with tears. 

"It never should have ended this way" Richard wiped angrily at his eyes "I mean I knew it couldn't last forever...but...." he trailed off as a sob caught him unaware and he found he couldn't hold the tears back any longer. 

James couldn't stand it. He pulled Richard to him and hugged him tightly. Richard was surprised for a second but returned the hug fiercely. They stood like that for a while and then pulled apart.

Richard gave James a watery smile "thought you didn't hug"

"Looked like you needed it" James replied. He sighed and ran a hand though his hair "do you want to meet in the pub later? I could call Jezza?"

Richard nodded "yeah, I'd like that"

"I'll meet you at seven? There's something I've got to do first" James pointed to the production office and Richard nodded.

"Seven sounds good, see you then, mate" Richard replied, holding his hand out for James to shake "to the future?"

James nodded and clasped the offered hand, giving it a firm shake "to the future"

 They looked at each other for a second, then nodded and then James turned to walk up to the production office and Richard got in his car and for the final time, drove away from Dunsfold park and into something new. 


End file.
